Facebook After Death: Memorialising a Deceased Person’s Account

Do you ever wonder what happens to your precious social media account when you die?
Photo Credit: www.backstorm.com
Photo Credit: www.backstorm.com
Facebook actually gives two choices for accounts with deceased users.
1. Delete: Facebook will remove the deceased user’s account permanently including all its contents if a close family member will request for it. This means every shared photo, video, posts or memory will be gone forever. Verified immediate family members and loved ones with documentation such as the deceased’s birth or death certificate can make the request.
Or
2. Memorialise: Since many family and friends put much value on a deceased user’s Timeline, Facebook accepts requests to memorialise the account. When a deceased user’s Facebook account is memorialised, friends of the user are still allowed to share memories on the memorialised Timeline, depending on the privacy settings of the user. The contents such as posts and photos shared by the deceased person will remain visible to the audience it is shared with on Facebook. Memorialising a Facebook account also allows other users to send a private message to the account. Moreover, the user’s confirmed friends will still be able to access the account.
However, no one is allowed to log into a memorialised account. Also, the account can’t be modified in any way which includes adding and deleting of friends. This action also stops automated activities like daily horoscopes.
It should be noted that Facebook encourages creation of Pages or Groups instead of a putting up a Timeline in remembrance of a deceased person.
Sending a Memorialisation Request
The social media site requires a valid request and a proof of death such as obituary link or news article in order to memorialise a Facebook account.
For most of us, Facebook has become a big part of our daily lives that the idea of just leaving it the way it is after death can be quite bothersome. Although Facebook provides two choices on handling the deceased user’s account, it will be wise to inform your loved ones about your plans while it’s still early.